1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to trailer hitches and more specifically, to a trailer hitch mounted to the bumper of a truck or other vehicle and having a rotatable draw plate for selectively deploying the draw plate and companion hitch ball outwardly of the trailer hitch in functional configuration, and inwardly of the trailer hitch housing in retracted, non-functional configuration.
Trailer hitches are conventionally mounted on the bumpers or frames of vehicles such as trucks and cars with a draw bar extending rearwardly of the bumper and a hitch ball bolted or otherwise secured to the pivoting end of the draw bar. When not in use, such hitches constitute a safety hazard and also detract from the esthetics of the vehicle. Since the draw bar and hitch ball extend outwardly from the bumper just below the knee of a person of average height, bumping of the shin and knee area of the legs against the hitch sometimes occurs when walking around the rear of the vehicle. The trailer hitch embodied in this invention includes a rotatable draw plate which operates to selectively extend the hitch ball in functional configuration rearwardly of the vehicle bumper for attachment to a trailer and inwardly of the trailer hitch housing through the plane of the bumper, when not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various trailer hitch mechanisms are known in the art for recessing or folding the draw bar and hitch ball of a trailer hitch. U.S. Pat. No. 2,474,231, dated June 28, 1949, to R. V. Crosely, discloses a "Sliding Ball Hitch For Automobiles". The sliding ball hitch detailed in this patent is characterized by a casing adapted to be connected to the rear of an automobile and having an opening in the rear end thereof, the casing further provided with interior shoulder portions and a block slidable in and out of the casing through the rear opening. The block is further provided with portions adapted to engage the shoulder portions of the casing, in order to limit outward movement of the block and the block is also provided with a recess having a sloping surface in the upper surface thereof. A latch plate having an upwardly-extending lip on the outer edge is positioned in the recess and a spring is located in the block for urging the plate upwardly to lock the block in the extended position. A ball is connected to the block for connecting the trailer hitch to the hitch device of a trailer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,805, dated Jan. 14, 1964, to W. A. Schoeffler, discloses a "Traler Hitch", the rear end section of which is bolted to the vehicle and the front end section being vertically pivotally attached to the rear end section, for rotating the draw bar and hitch ball into and out of functional orientation with respect to the vehicle. Another trailer hitch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,296, dated Nov. 25, 1969, to E. L. Starling. The trailer hitch detailed in this patent is designed for mounting in a vehicle bumper and includes a draw bar pivotally mounted within a recess in the bumper, for swinging movement between a draft position outwardly extending from the bumper and a position with the draw bar fully retracted within the recess in the bumper to present a clean, uncluttered bumper surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,930, dated Aug. 29, 1978, to S. T. L. Pilhall, discloses a "Towing Device For Motor Vehicles". The towing device embodied in this patent includes an upwardly-directed portion which is shaped as a ball and connected to the bumper and which, in a storage position, is covered by a removable or slidable portion of the bumper. The ball portion is connected to the bumper beam in such a manner that it can be moved between the storage position located in a storage space in the bumper beam and a towing position completely outside of the storage space. A "Hinged Bi-Level Hitch For A Vehicle" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,899, dated June 30, 1981, to Verle L. Humphrey. This patent details a heavy-duty, hinged bi-level hitch for mounting on a tubular bumper of a vehicle. The hitch includes an upper hitch assembly with an upper hitch ball, which upper hitch assembly is integrally formed in the center of the bumper. A lower hitch assembly is pivotally attached to the bottom of the bumper. The lower hitch assembly can be pivoted from a raised storage position underneath the vehicle to a lowered position directed below the upper hitch assembly by loosening a pair of bolts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,167, dated Nov. 13, 1984, to H. L. Haugrud, discloses a "Retractable Hitch". The retractable hitch is designed for attachment beneath the bumper of a vehicle and the tow bar of the hitch is held in a retracted position by a pivotal wall locked in place. Alternatively, the tow bar may be clamped into an operational position by the same pivotal wall locked in place. The retractable hitch is operated into and out of the functional configuration by moving a handle beneath the hitch and rotating the tow bar, as desired. U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,194, dated Sept. 10, 1985, to Roy Dane, discloses a trailer hitch which includes a plate that is adapted to selectively lie flush with the bed of the truck or other vehicle and extend upwardly for attachment to a trailer. A hitch block, which has a connecting ball at one end, is journalled on an axis below the plate in such a manner, that when disposed in the towing position, the ball is located above the plate and when the vehicle is used for hauling, the entire block can be folded down beneath the bed of the vehicle. The opposite end of the block is provided with a spring-biased, retractable pin and an arcuate member located beneath the plate is provided with holes which receive the pin to hold the block in a selected position.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved, heavy-duty trailer hitch having a rotatable draw plate for selectively orienting a hitch ball in functional towing configuration outwardly of the trailer hitch housing and rotating the hitch ball inwardly of the trailer hitch housing when not in use.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved trailer hitch having a rotatable draw plate, which trailer hitch is designed for removably mounting to the bumper of a pick-up truck or other vehicle and is designed to selectively deploy the hitch ball outwardly of the vehicle bumper when in functional configuration and inwardly of the trailer hitch housing and inside the vertical plane of the vehicle bumper when in rotated, non-functional configuration, responsive to manipulation of a latch mechanism and rotation of the draw plate.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a trailer hitch having a rotatable draw plate, the frame of which trailer hitch is mounted on the bumper of a pick-up truck and is operable to locate the hitch ball outwardly of the plane of the bumper for coupling to the hitch mechanism of a trailer and inwardly of the trailer hitch housing and retracted inside the plane of the bumper when not in use.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved trailer hitch having a rotatable draw plate which is capable of removably receiving hitch balls of varying diameter and wherein a first hitch ball is mounted to the draw plate and a second hitch ball is mounted to the bumper and trailer hitch housing.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved trailer hitch having a curved, rotatable draw plate, which trailer hitch is characterized by a housing having a ball clearance opening and is adapted for mounting on the bumper plate of a pick-up truck bumper and is rugged in construction and designed to tow trailers of substantially any size, with the capability of rotatably deploying the hitch ball outwardly of the bumper when in functional configuration and retracting the hitch ball through the ball clearance opening inside the trailer hitch housing when in stored configuration, responsive to manipulation of a latch and rotation of the draw plate with respect to the housing.